The Grown Up Brownie

As a child I was terrified of anything with the least bit of spice or kick to it. I would beg my parents to make sure my food wasn't spicy in the least bit, no matter where we were. As I got older I slowly but surely started to love spicy food and now instead of doing everything in my power to avoid it, I am of the opinion that "The spicier, the better!"

These are brownies for a coffee, spice loving person. I wouldn't call these the most kid friendly brownies, because they aren't very reliant on the sweet side. The addition of chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, paprika, and nutmeg add some kick, and really bring out the rich espresso flavor. So this is my brownie recipe, all grown up.

Use a really dark chocolate, I like to use 86% cocoa

    

Dipping the bottoms of your brownies in sugar adds a nice touch, and keeps them from sticking to each other when you stack them on a plate!

Makes 16 brownies

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 oz. dark chocolate (72-86%)
• 2 tablespoons dutched cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup fresh espresso
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Begin by preheating your oven to 350˚F.

Prepare a 9x13 inch pan but lining it with parchment paper, set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and paprika. Set aside.

Put the chopped chocolate, butter, and espresso in a large bowl over a sauce pan with simmering water. Stir occasionally until fully melted and combined.

Take off the heat, and add the sugars immediately. Stir until combined. Let cool.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined, ass the remaining 2 eggs and vanilla, and stir until combined. Do not over-beat otherwise your brownies will turn out cakey!

Slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and gently combine all of the ingredients.

Pour into the prepared pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes, making sure to rotate halfway through.

Once the brownies have cooled, cut them into 16 small squares, and dip the bottoms in granulated sugar.

Enjoy!